Process Monitoring, Control, and Automation
As the fourth industrial revolution transforms manufacturing, the demand for intelligent, automated vacuum processing systems is rapidly growing. This session explores the forefront of automation technologies reshaping thin film deposition, plasma processing, and surface engineering.
Achieving high repeatability, reproducibility, and yield levels requires robust solutions for real-time process monitoring and control. While the benefits – such as increased throughput, reduced material and energy waste, and lower operational costs – are well recognized, the path to reliable automation remains complex. Challenges include sensor and actuator integration in harsh environments, data fusion across different systems, the development of adaptive, autonomous control algorithms and cybersecurity.
This session focuses on practical solutions while highlighting the latest advances in:
- Embedded sensors and actuators,
- Cyber-physical monitoring and control systems,
- Digital twins for process control,
- Automation and digitalization,
- AI and machine learning for predictive and adaptive automation,
- Robotic systems for material handling and process execution, and
- Autonomous materials discovery and optimization platforms.
We welcome contributions from researchers, engineers, and solution providers that address these challenges through innovative technologies, case studies, or system-level implementations. Presentations that demonstrate practical applications, integration strategies, or lessons learned from deployment are especially encouraged.
Join us to explore how automation and digitalization enable the next generation of intelligent vacuum processing systems.
Process Monitoring, Control, and Automation TAC Chair: Martynas Audronis, Nova Fabrica Ltd., martynas@novafabrica.biz; TAC Co-Chairs: Gun-Hwan Lee, Korea Institute of Materials Science, ghlee@kims.re.kr; Edmund Schüngel, VAT Vakuumventile AG, e.schuengel@vat.ch